elliot55
2817
Las Vegas, Nevada - The Horological Capital of the World
I just got back from Las Vegas and must admit I was very impressed with some of the watch inventory in the land of milk and honey. Sometimes you just get lucky in this forsaken town - you never know what will turn up at some of the high-end shops...
There are a huge number of boutiques, each with some truly outstanding pieces. You've got Tourbillon over at Aria's "Crystals Shops", with some absolutely not-to-be-believed watches. Sure, we've all seen the JD Bird Repeater in pictures, but to actually see one of nine in the metal is very special...
Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater. One of Nine. Absolutely Stunning!
Ahem, can you see the price tag? Let me see, Bird Repeater or a house?
I did find it odd that the Harry Winston boutique was just across the way from Tourbillon, but given Swatch's recent purchase of the diamond dealer, I guess it makes a little bit of sense. And unlike some of the other boutiques, this HW didn't have a single Opus to speak of.
There is the Richard Mille boutique, which I frankly found quite pretentious. Which does not surprise me because I find the brand pretentious. Although I must admit, the new Bubba Watson with the green trim and g-force measurement is kind of cool.
Caesars has no shortage of watch boutiques in the Forum Shops part of the hotel. There's a Blancpain boutique, a Hublot boutique, Breitling, Cartier and Rolex all have stores, JLC is opening a boutique in about a week - not to mention one massive Tourneau.
But what really knocked me to the curb were a couple of pieces at the Jaeger LeCoultre boutique located in the Esplanade of the Encore Hotel...
JLC a'Triptyque - Hybris Mechanica - Main Dial
JLC a'Triptyque Hybris Mechanic - Main Dial / Bottom Dial
JLC aTriptyque Hybris Mechanica - Second Dial - Zodiac
This thing is a beast - clearly something you don't get a sense when you see it in pictures. I mean a true gargantuan. And of course, one of the most amazing examples of high-end horology anywhere! To experience it in the metal sucks the air out of your body. To be sure, I really could have spent a good couple of hours with this watch alone.
And one last limited piece before I go...
JLC Tribute To Geophysic in Platinum
This watch speaks for itself on every level. I mean, even the levels have levels. At 38mm's a wee bit small for me, but I think I want one anyway. Love the luminescent dots and let's not even get into the perfect weight of the platinum case. My good friend says this one is "absolument parfait".
Las Vegas is not for the faint of heart, nor for the faint of wallet. But if there is a watch you have lusted after and you've just got to try it on before actually pulling the trigger, I will say Vegas is a great place to find those very rare and almost never seen examples of what we all live for. And believe me, the people who work in these boutiques appreciate our knowledge more than you can imagine. When I was standing in the Jaquet Droz section of the Tourbillon store, I just happened to mention to the sales person how much I am impressed with the brand, particularly the Bird Repeater. The sales guy smiled and said, "Wait here..." and then returned with one of the most amazing timepieces I have ever seen. It was as exciting for him to share it as it was for me to see it up close and personal. Who would've thought Vegas could have been such a fun place!
Have A Great Weekend Everyone!
- Scott
Las Vegas, Nevada - The Horological Capital of the World
I just got back from Las Vegas and must admit I was very impressed with some of the watch inventory in the land of milk and honey. Sometimes you just get lucky in this forsaken town - you never know what will turn up at some of the high-end shops... There...
Vegas has some impressive boutiques
Thanks for sharing these pics. We were just in Vegas last weekend for Valentine's / President's Day weekend. Very cool to see that you found some special watches at JD, RM, and JLC. Besides Crystals and Forum Shops, there's also a lot of watch boutiques o...
Hey Ed, The Boutique At The Wynn Is...
... Like a Tourneau. Some great pieces in that store. And let's face it; the Wynn and Encore are very classy hotels. Probably the best Vegas has to offer. Sure, The Mandarin is the true 5-Star hotel on the strip, but for my money I like the Wynn. Jeez, ev...
Does that make PuristS a classy bunch?
We held our 10th anniversary bash at the Las Vegas Wynn Encore for IGOTT-2 (2nd International Gathering of the Tribes). Was that a classy move? MTF P.S. I saw this at the IGOTT Dinner with Chopard and Mr K-F Scheufele. Got the first one to be imported int...
Arie, I Think You Are On To Something, And...
... It's fair to say that the Shops at Crystals cater to a mostly Asian crowd. It seems that the Aria, Vdara and Mandarin also cater to a mostly Asian crowd. These are smart business people running the aforementioned hotels and I think we would all agree ...
A bunch of very heavy weights you saw in Vegas!
Thanks for sharing with us here Scott! Vegas indeed has the heaviest timepieces :) The platinum tribute to Geophysic is also something I like. You correctly point out the nice heft on the wrist. Plus that geogphysic dial is to die for. Love your pics. Hav...
Thanks, Robin. I Was Quite Impressed By...
.... The unparalleled rarity of the some of the watches I was lucky to see (as we say) 'in the metal'. Living in Los Angeles all of my life, I have made many, many trips to Lost Wages. Sure, I would expect to see a ton of Rolexes for sale, and many other ...
I just got back!
Vegas has some cool stores glad to hear you got to visit them. Since you were at The Shops at Crystals, did you check out the new AP boutique? The folks at BVLGARI there are knowledgeable as well. Cartier and Montblanc over at Palazzo/Venetian and Cartier...
Hey MW, Looks Like You Made The Watch Tour Too, And...
... Yes, I did check out the AP boutique. I am not a fan of the brand, per se, but I think the Millenary is very, very cool. Truth be told, the sales guy was not very inviting and it seems like unless you've got wads of cash spilling out of your pockets, ...
I've been to Vegas a few times LOL
"... The Las Vegas boutiques are completely high-end and rival anything in the world..." While Vegas has lots of eye candy, you should visit Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, or Dubai. They are at another level. -MW
Ming lives in Las Vegas...LOL
Seriously, he pretends to work in LA but really, his 3-day weekends in Sin City nearly every week are L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y. :-) He must have his own reserved suite in that big glass hotel in Central by now! Refards, MTF
Absolument parfait, et très cool, aussi. ;)
Did you try the steel Geophysic? The platinum is very nice, but the steel is cool. About the size, on your wrist, I don't see the problem. This is part of its character! All the best, mon ami. Nicolas
Hey Nicolas, Ironically The JLC Boutique Did Not...
... Have an example in steel. They had the platinum (which is freakin' gorgeous) and the gold (meh), but no steel. I think I'm going to Beverly Hills this week to see the steel version, which I like very much. Of course, if I pull the trigger you will be ...
Hi Scott, the JD bird repeater !! wow !!
did you hear the MR and see the movement of the birds ?? Thanks, Gordon
Hey Gordon, I Must Say That..
... I was very impressed with the bird automatons - there are actually three different sequences; first sequence has the the bird on the right opening its wing about halfway before the bird on the left starts to feed the chicks. The second sequence has th...
Thanks for the recap, Scott...
I always have a lot of fun checking out the selection at some of the retailers, particularly the bejeweled Rolex models being showcased, as well as some more complicated pieces and limited editions by other manufacturers. On recent visit in mid January, I...
